Kanndece

Inquiry learning is

• developing independent learners who celebrate the knowledge they have learned.
• connect with, interact with, and utilise information to build new knowledge and understanding.
• students using the information they have found.
• reminds me of the "I Do, We Do, You Do" ELA talk (which works).
• collaboration.

Inquiry learning is not

• finding and reproducing an answer.
• individual learning.
  Here's a webpage with a bunch of links. I've only checked out a couple, but it might be worth a glance:
  The Guide on the Side

My Quickwrite:
All of this reading has caused me to think of some questions:

• I've tried group work, but it hasn't worked. How do I do inquiry learning, when students can't work in groups?
• In terms of relevance, I think that we need to change our topics to make them relevant. I have some of those same students who have already decided (in Grades 7 and 8) that they want to go on welfare, and so don't plan to finish school. When I ask them what their goals are, they say they don't have any. I think that in order for us to spark their interest we need to dig a bit deeper with these kids. If we introduce them to technology, they may begin to have some goals, and then plan for themselves and their futures.

Links for our Inquiry Unit (Doing Our Part for Planet Earth):

• Canadian Geographic

My Quickwrite for December 3, 2007:

• I didn't realize how many tools Google has. I am impressed and will use them more.
• I am beginning to get a good feel for what exactly an inquiry unit is, and how to go about teaching it. As wilth anything we learn, I am getting used to the language used around the whole idea of inquiry. The integration of technology and inquiry will help the process, and allow me to give my student the space necessary while guiding them as they learn about the topic.
• I would like more time to "play" with the new technology as we learn it in these sessions. It helps to increase the excitement and awareness of using computers and new technology. Then, I can pass this excitement and knowledge on to my students.

March 4, 2008
Introduction
Objection met:
Lesson 1: How do we depend on the environment?
Objection met: read poerty for learning, experiment with a variety of text forms

• And My Heart Soars
  • What is the author saying?
  • How can all of these things "speak" to him?
  • Studnets write a poem following the same rhythm and pattern about what speaks to them. What are they relly affected by regarding the environment?
• Diaries of the Wilderness School
  • Students should complete a journal/quick write.
  • Students should create 5 questions to ask one of the authors of a diary entry.
• Ten Commandments of the Earth
  • Together as a class, make a web connecting all of the parts of the environment together. Simplify each commandment so that you can say "Commandment One talks about _, Commandment 2 talks about , etc."
• Create 5 main questions as a class that students will answer. Each student should develop 5 that address one main environmental issue. Explain that after every next assignment, they must address their questions and environmental concern.
• Who Owns the Land?
  • write a short story about owning land, our dependance on our piece of land

Lesson 2: What are some problems facing the environment?
Objection met: view and listen to for enjoyment, improve writing, summarize main ideas

• Gaia: A Medical Report
  • Investigate mood for such a serious issue. How is the author succesful?
• A Plea from the Sea
  • Vocabulary building
  • Read it together paragraph by paragraph to igure out what the essay is proving and its directions
• The Green House Effect
  • summarize main idea, make their own environmental dictionaries
• The Man Who Sent Garbage to the Sea
  • If you had to make up a plan to get rid of the garbage in your town/area/farm, what would it be?

Lesson 3: What do you think will happen to the environment during your lifetime?
Objection met:

• Success Stories: Preserving Endangered Species

-What endandgered animals are there now?
- What could you do to prevent an animal from becoming endangered?
- How could you save an animal that's on the Endangered List?

• A Favle for Tomorrow, Form the Book Silent Spring

- Answer the main question in a picture book format
Lesson 4: Of all the ways we may be doing harm to the Earth, which one concerns you the most?
Objectives met: write to explain and inform

• Exxon Valdez: The Disaster the Couldn't Happen

- short research reports of more current oil spills
Lesson 5: What are some things you and your peers can do to show you respect and care for the environment?
Objective met: represent to describe

• How Green Are You?

- do the quiz and graph the results

• Hug a Tree: the Cjipko Movement

- read the question at the end and answer it
- research other tree hugger groups in Canada

• How Does the Earth?

- Listen to information and questions

• They Went, They Saw, They Picked Up
• Two Minutes a Day for a Greener Planet: Saving Water
• Red Wigglers
• Their Future is at Stake: Jeff Gibbs and the Environmental Youth Alliance
• Moving On
• Marsh Maker

Quick Write for March 4, 2008
Comparison of feelings with Inquiry now vs. before:

• I feel more comfortable with the whole idea of Inquiry learning. I have a solid understanding of the process and methods for teaching this way. I am excited and nervous about it, but believe that the students will gain a deeper appreciation of learning and hoepfully the Environment.

Overall perception of working on the project:

• I enjoy working with other teachers on a project like this. Collaborating is not something that is often experienced, working in a school where there is only 1 Grade 7 teacher (me!). Integrating technology with this process means that as teachers, we can keep up with the students, and teach them how to use technology in more productive ways, as opposed to destructive ways, or in a static ways.
• I would encourage all teachers to engage in a process/project like this, in all subject areas, and at all grade levels.